IPL 2021: Andrew Tye slams team owners for spending so much during COVID-19 crisis

Rajasthan Royals paceman Andrew Tye, who left for Australia midway the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in the wake of COVID-19 surge in India, was critical of the franchises spending insane money on cricket at a time when their country is facing an unprecedented health crisis.

Tye, however, said the league should go ahead if it was a means to relieving stress or giving a glimmer of hope to those who are suffering due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Looking at it from an Indian point of view, how are these companies and franchises spending so much money, and the government, on the IPL when there’s people not being able to get accepted into hospital? If sport can continue and be one of those avenues to relieve stress or give a glimmer of hope that the world is OK and there is light at the end of the tunnel, I think it should go ahead,” Tye was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

“But I know that’s not everyone’s feelings and I completely respect everyone’s views from all angles.”

He said players (in the IPL) are safe now but at the same time asked, “if it’s going to stay safe.”

The 34-year-old Tye left the IPL on Sunday (April 25) as he feared getting ‘locked out’ of his own country in the wake of a COVID-19 surge in India. He had not got a game with the Royals so far and his contract with the franchise was worth Rs 1 crore.

“There was a number of reasons, but the main one was with the situation that has started to happen back home in Perth with a lot of cases in hotel quarantine coming out of India,” Tye told ‘SEN radio’ from Doha on Monday.

“Now there’s been a community case in Perth governments are trying to restrict numbers coming back in, especially Western Australia.”

The bubble fatigue was also a factor, said Tye. After Tye's pulling out, the Australian duo of Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa (both Royal Challengers Bangalore) withdrew citing ‘personal reasons’.

However, not all Australians are very concerned. Pacer Nathan Coulter-Nile, who has a Rs 5 crore deal with Mumbai Indians would rather be in the bio-bubble than risk a trip back home at this point. 

(with agency inputs)